Friendship is Nonpartisan

When Free Speech Attacks!

2010-10-06T09:05:00.004-04:00

On this busy third day of hearings for the new Court, Snyder v. Phelps is creating a circus at 1st and East Capitol today.

There is a legal line of demarcation somewhere between a citizens' right to say whatever distasteful thing they want and where common decency should apply. This question gets dangerously close to "legislating morality" or where an activist Court could inject their opinion in a harmful way against the Bill of Rights.

But I think we can all agree that this type of speech is not appropriate in most settings, much less a funeral! For as much as I believe in anyones' right to speak their mind in whatever venue they choose, the funeral of a solider who died protecting my right to speak my mind and live my life in the greatest country on earth is *not* the appropriate venue for the Westboro Baptist folks to air their fringe views.

So if we want to argue the merits of one lifestyle over another, one political party over another, or even one faith over another, let's do it in a respectful and cogent manner. Not in a way that offends the everyday American family who's child gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can continue our debate.

This will be an interesting and potentially monumental opinion. For the desired effect, the holding will have to be very narrowly tailored to a specific set of circumstances. Otherwise it could infringe on many other, possibly unexpected, scenarios of justified Free Speech.

But until we have an opinion, there is always the option to counter-protest!

Very brave and very cold.

Topping Off the Week:

2010-10-03T08:34:00.002-04:00

Saturday Night Live recaps the week with this shockingly accurate recap of seeing RahmBo off to Chicago:

Happy Mid-Term Madness, everyone!

Tea Party Rally vs. Al Sharpton Rally

2010-08-31T00:04:00.007-04:00

Double standards abound. While many are criticizing the Tea Party rally on Saturday, it is Al Sharpton's rally that over-stepped.

Education Secretary Arnie Duncan came dangerously close to violating the Hatch Act by urging Department of Education employees to attend the Sharpton rally. Can you imagine the reaction if a Bush Cabinet Secretary had urged their employees to attend a Glen Beck rally?

Also, "Speakers at the Sharpton rally praised Obama and took jabs at the Tea Party." while Obama's name, or the Sharpton rally were never mentioned at the Tea Party rally.

The Tea Party rally was respectful and served as a celebration of the civil rights movement. The Al Sharpton Rally also celebrated civil rights, but only through partisanship and attacks.

Who do you think took the moral high-road on Saturday? Do you disagree with either rally?

The first photo was taken by Jacquelyn Martin from on top of the Washington Monument. All other photos were taken by me.

The Audacity of Greed.

2010-08-26T17:18:00.001-04:00

I let this article sit as a draft for months now, but given the impending invasion of Washington, DC by Glenn Beck and the Tea Party crowd this Saturday to "Restore Honor", I feel that it's more applicable now than ever.

For quite awhile, anybody who follows politics has known that Fox News readily serves as mouthpiece of the current Republican party and that it has hardly been as "news" focused as its moniker implies. In fact, News Corp itself (parent company of Fox News) directly donated $1M to the Republican Governor's Association this election cycle! But many people too ignorant of the agenda or too comfortable with the message watch it by the thousands and many of my acquaintances from Oklahoma consider it the go-to news source for all the ways that the democrats and Obama Administration are completely screwing over the Joe-Six-Packs of America (facts and reality be damned!).

But for a shorter while now, it's been my personal opinion that we ought to re-brand, re-label, and begin treating most of our cable news media, especially Fox News, as entertainment and opinion rather than actual news sources. Even Keith Olbermann gets far afield these days with a stray Special Comment or two. I fully support the First Amendment and everyone's right to say whatever distasteful thing they want to say, but don't dress up your agenda and sell it as factual news to folks who don't know any better (or just don't care).

It turns out that one of the worst offenders actually agrees with me. This article from Forbes.com features a fascinating quote from Glenn Beck himself: "I could give a flying crap about the political process. We're an entertainment company, ..."!

And quite a lucrative entertainment company at that. From the article: "Glenn Beck Inc. ... pulled in $32 million in revenue during the 12 months ended Mar. 1 (2010)" And continues: "Radio brings in $10 million. Digital (including a newsletter, the ad-supported Glennbeck.com and merchandise) pulls in $4 million. Speaking and events are good for $3 million and television for $2 million."

The point: Beck and his ilk are making a KILLING off of people who are clearly not in the same tax bracket by playing their emotions with fear and urging them on to support a party who's candidates, platforms, and ideals are not supportive of their own best interests.

For example, the legitimate tax cuts implemented in the last two budget years under President Obama have tremendously benefited the Joe-Six-Packs, students, and small businesses of America. But most of them wouldn't know it because Glenn Beck, the Tea Party movement, and this sky-is-falling faux-reality Fox News has created overrides the tax refund that was deposited in their bank account as actual money. People believe the lie because it's repeated on a "news" ticker 24/7, 365. To listen to many of the folks who are waving Gadsden flags and you would think that America is currently under the most tyrannical over-taxation in our country's history. But again, the truth is that federal income tax is lower now for the middle-class than it has been since the 1950's.

As another example, an old schoolmate of mine now works for the Oklahoma Republican Party and we had numerous, passionate debates over health insurance reform this past Spring. She is fierce in her opposition of the reform efforts, many times falling back to the party talking points again and again without considering the substance of them. After the bill was signed, I sadly learned that the Oklahoma GOP does NOT provide her with health benefits, she was NOT covered at that time, and that the reform provisions she so viciously opposed would allow her to remain on her parent's insurance plan because she's under 25 years old (and presumably at cheaper rates than she or her folks could find otherwise). Her explanation: that even though she wants health insurance, she doesn't want it forced on her in this way. I'm still speechless...she works every day to undermine her own best interests.

For all this talk of socialism, big government, and personal liberty, it seems that those who are enjoying the fruit of the spirit of discontent across the country are the people cashing-in on the anti-Obama message for pure capital and political reasons. Heaven forbid the Administration try to help the middle class by stabilizing the banking industry, provide much needed stimulus and tax cuts, and extending health insurance options to an additional 30 million people. But don't you dare let those Bush-era tax cuts for folks over with income above$250,000 per year expire at the end of the year! That's fiscally irresponsible! (Though it's actually more fiscally responsible to let them expire).

So what does August 28th, 2010 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial represent to me? A movement of possibly sincere energy that has been carefully directed and crafted to put control back in the hands of the top 2% of wealthy Americans who have been greatly unhappy with the last two years worth of ending their financial free-for-all and actually, really, tangibly creating positive change for the middle-class in America. But despite all this self-flagellation we'll see Saturday, the agenda is thinly covered under a veil of asserting liberty and selectively linked to our great Constitution when it's convenient. (Please disregard the liberty part if you don't speak English, aren't a Christian or a heterosexual. That part isn't for you.)

As Glenn Beck says, "Follow the money." Ok, so indulge me: Say we pick three big issues in Congress lately: health insurance reform, financial sector reform, and the Bush tax cuts. Who stood to benefit if health insurance reform failed: insurance companies and politicians who receive their donations. Who stood to benefit from financial sector reform to prevent another meltdown of the American economy: Wall-Street and the politicians who receive their donations. Who stands to benefit from letting the Bush tax cuts expire on December 31st: the top 2% of income earners in America, i.e. folks making over $250,000 per year, i.e. Glenn Beck, Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, even Bill Clinton. NOT you, me, or any of my friends who are Republican, Democrat, or own a small business.

$32 million dollars in cold, hard cash to a man who's fear-mongering and distortion of what could be a constructive political discourse epitomizes the biggest problem with our political landscape today. Glenn Beck and John Boehner are off-message. They aren't interested in reducing the deficit or taxation of you, me, or small business. They're interested in more money in their pockets and campaign coffers (which may translate to more power in Congress post-Citizens United). And the only way they can get there, thanks to our amazing democracy, is to persuade the folks with the real power to put them back in office in November.

So how does one combat such a nefarious agenda? The same way we did in 2008: You get organized and you tell the truth. And you tell the truth over and over and over again. Sometimes you get a little louder and more forceful when you tell the truth. And in my experience, eventually the truth the will win out over deception. So unplug Fox News, read or get on the internet, find the truth, and share it. Don't take Keith Olbermann or Glenn Beck's word for it! And eventually this madness of false-reality cable news will be pushed out by peer pressure when people get educated and realize the truth is a few keystrokes and critical-thoughts away.

Sadly, for faith and values Christians, my brothers and sisters seem to have forgotten an important vacation bible-school teaching: "You can't serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24). I believe you can't serve the people (or the country) and money, either.

I'll take the Audacity of Hope over the Audacity of Greed any day.

I have said it before...

2010-07-22T21:01:00.002-04:00

...and I will say it again. Do not underestimate Sarah Palin.

Sessions vs. Kagan

2010-06-29T14:58:00.002-04:00

Republican Senators (especially Senator Jeff Sessions) are getting quite a bit of flack for discussing SCOTUS Nominee Kagan’s decision as Dean of Harvard Law School to ban military recruiters. Democrats argue that it is not relevant to the hearings, and should not be discussed.

No sitting Senator (with the possible exception of Franken) is dumb. Sessions believes, as a trained attorney and respected policy maker, that Kagan broke the law when she banned the recruiters by ignoring the Solomon Amendment.

I am not well enough informed to know whether she broke the law or not. But if a Senator believes it is worth mentioning, then I support discussing it.

I also believe that the discussion is relevant to Kagan’s confirmation. Kagan has never been a judge and only practiced law for 2 or 3 years. Almost all of her entire career has been in academia.

If her decisions in academia are off-limit, what should the Senators ask her about? Her baseball performance?

Historically, I believe that Kagan’s confirmation has thus far been very relevant. This is especially true when compared to past confirmation hearings such as when Robert Bork's VHS movie rental history was discussed.

Mourning the Passing of Senator Byrd.

2010-06-28T10:38:00.004-04:00

For quite a time now, I'm not sure there are many people who could remember a different Senior Senator from West Virgina other than Robert Byrd. But as of early this morning he passed on and left a legacy as the longest serving senator in the history of our country.

Here's a snippet from a great piece about him in Politico today:

"Byrd was first elected to the House in 1952 — the same year Gen. Dwight Eisenhower was elected president. He arrived in the Senate in 1959; Hawaii and Alaska had just been admitted to the Union.

Lyndon Baines Johnson was the majority leader then. And if he was the master of the Senate, Byrd would become the keeper of its rules and traditions — a guardian of a realm that so few understood."

And TPM has a great flashback at the Senator's common-sense speech on the floor of the Senate during a critical time when most of the rest of us were blindly following patriotism and national security:

There is much to be said for longevity, experience, and wisdom.

The flags around the Capitol today at half-mast will serve as a somber reminder of this loss.

Preach On Papa Joe!

2010-06-23T16:57:00.003-04:00

You have to admit...when he's on point, he's on point.

"The fundamental role of government is to protect people who are being taken advantage of" (my paraphrase).

I think we could all stop and learn something from thinking about that for awhile sans all the partisan hype.

Pride.

2010-06-23T10:21:00.000-04:00

And Now for Something Totally Different.

2010-06-22T15:22:00.004-04:00

The geeky shenanigans going on over at ThinkGeek.com have been quite humorous and a constant source for almost limitless geek-swag for years. In fact, this past April Fools Day they debuted their "Canned Unicorn Meat" (complete with sparkles and magical goodness)!

This was all well and good for a couple of months until the National Pork Board (yeah, it's real) took offense to the slogan "the new white meat" and launched a full-on campaign to stop this national tragedy of copyright infringement from continuing! They applied serious legal expertise to the problem and issued a cease-and-desist letter to ThinkGeek. To which the company released this hilarious statement announcing it's apology to the National Pork Board for the "unintended confusion surrounding unicorn meat versus pork meat." It's completely worth the read!

In the meantime, ThinkGeek is offering a $10-off coupon for orders over $40 until June 30th. (Go capitalism!) So you should totally go peruse the Zombies and Bacon section and pick up something nice for the kids.

*Note: As of this posting, the White House has not commented on the impact that the harvesting of unicorn meat may or may not have on the President's daily commute to work.

The Purple Tunnel of Doom Explained!

2010-06-21T15:48:00.003-04:00

The Atlantic reports on the newly released congressional report of the 2009 inaugural purple-section debacle which resulted in many campaign staffers (and a few personal friends of mine) being stuck in the 3rd Street tunnel underneath the National Mall singing "Lean On Me" instead of watching their political hero be inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.

Basically, poor-planning, record crowds, plenty of miscommunication, and conflicting orders on-the-ground led to this tragic situation (read as: epic clusterf*ck). Unfortunately, the Presidential Inaugural Committee proper didn't have oversight of this or we might take some measure of responsibility for the hot mess. The Senate Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies handled anything dealing with the actual ceremony and it looks like most of the trouble happened at the law-enforcement partner levels.

Not that there is any satisfaction for anyone in this, but at least it's on the record. Ironically, our very own ETR provided the motivation to get the two of us through the gate to a democratic inauguration!

Because Actual Accountability is Crazy-Talk!

2010-06-17T12:25:00.003-04:00

Really, Mr. Barton. Really?

So much for representing the interests of the people. Let's side with the corporation and protect their assets again and again.

What would you rather do, have the President let them off the hook, BP declare bankruptcy, and the government be forced to pick up the tab on the clean up efforts? (To which I'm sure you would blast the White House for inaction and lack of leadership!)

I apologize, Mr. Barton, if even a moderately prudent action of leadership offends you. BP created this mess, BP needs to clean it up. And they agreed to do so.

Why the Tea Party Cannot Be Ignored

2010-06-15T08:56:00.003-04:00

Across the country, there are millions of Americans who believe strongly in traditional values... they are real, and their voices will be heard.

All Eyes on Washington

2010-06-14T14:03:00.002-04:00

This movie is coming out at the perfect time... at the height of the current anti-Washington mood the country is experiencing.

And yes, I can't wait to see it.

Hot on So Many Levels.

2010-06-14T12:20:00.002-04:00

Kristen Chenoweth making out with Sean Hayes on the Tony's last night:

Newsworthy indeed!

It's Going To Be A Long Summer

2010-06-14T09:46:00.003-04:00

A Great Nonpartisan Friendship

2010-06-10T16:39:00.006-04:00

Sir Elton John wearing "red" glasses.

Or maybe it's bipartisan? At any rate, the newly discovered friendship between Sir Elton John and Rush Limbaugh has left most of us scratching our heads.

Apparently they became acquainted because they were both staying at the same hotel in Hawaii when Rush had his heart attack. Elton visited Rush during his recovery and they have kept up a lengthy email exchange.

Making the story even weirder is the new development that Sir Elton just sang at Rush's fourth wedding! With Karl Rove and Sean Hannity in attendance!

Is Sir Elton John moving towards becoming a conservative? Impossible the critics say. They reason that he performed only for the $1 Million fee Rush paid him. However, the critics fail to see the irony in such a display of capitalism.

Be careful Sir John, it sounds like you are on a slippery slope towards embracing conservatism. You wouldn't want to damage your cred.

Results So Far:

2010-05-18T22:53:00.003-04:00

Sestak trounces Specter in the PA Senate primary 54% to 46% with 84% of the vote counted.

Critz over burns in the PA-12 with most of the vote in already.

Rand Paul over the GOP-backed candidate in Kentucky.

Still waiting on Arkansas and Hawaii (that can wait until tomorrow!).

Good to know that voters are using some independent thought!

Election Day!

2010-05-18T10:10:00.006-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's election day! And this fact makes us FiNP people just a little bit giddy (even if it is mainly primaries...don't judge!).

Today's hot races include:

PA-12 Special Election (John Murtha's old seat): D-Mark Critz v. R-Tim Burns

PA Democratic Senate Primary: Incumbent Arlen Specter v. Congressman Joe Sestak

This one will be interesting since Specter has swapped parties, has the backing (at least in lip-service) from the White House, Governor Rendell, and the PA Democratic party...despite his being down in the polls against Sestak (who is obviously the underdog I'm pulling for)!

Huffington Post reports that the White House is steering clear of Pennsylvania today even though the PA Dem machine is out in full-force for Specter.

AR Senate Primaries: Incumbent Blanche Lincoln v. Lt. Gov., Bill Halter on the Dem side and the likely GOP candidate, Congressman Boozman. However, Arkansas needs a clear majority to win without a run-off. So this could go on for another cycle...

Lincoln could definitely be in trouble after her flip-flop on Card Check (perhaps Casie can shed more light on this?) and then her being all over the map on health insurance reform this winter.

KY Senate Primaries: Lt. Gov., Dan Mongiardo v. A.G., Jack Conway on the Dem side and Sec. of State, Trey Grayson v. Rand Paul (Ron's son). Grayson has the backing of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, but Paul seems to be upsetting the GOP establishment in this race (seeing a trend here?)

HI-1 Special Election: State Senator Colleen Hanabusa v. former Congressman Ed Case on the Dem side v. GOP candidate Charles Djou.

This one is supposedly of special significance for the GOP since it's "Obama's Childhood District". Sounds like BS to me... But the fear is that the democrats will split the vote and hand a decisive victory to Djou.

So the prelude to the mid-terms should wind down tonight. Let's see how well this massive grassroots Obama-verse we created shapes up against a GOP suffering a Tea Party insurgency. Who knows how it will all shake out...it looks like all this resentment being stirred up by Fox News has created a bad climate for incumbents. And since the democrats are in the majority all around, that could mean heavy losses? Hopefully people will vote with their heads and the facts instead of their hearts and perceived notions of wrongdoing by the Administration one year in.

But it's raining in Pennsylvania and the senate primary is a closed primary. Who's supporters are more enthusiastic??

In other news, Jonathan Alter's new book, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, is out today. My copy is coming from Amazon as we speak!

Laura Bush is a Closet Liberal.

2010-05-14T16:36:00.005-04:00

Heath, prepare yourself and take a deep breath before continuing...

Laura Bush went on the record this week with Larry King while discussing her new book to say she is Pro-Choice and Gay-Marriage. *GASP*

So, it might not have been good politics for her hubby, but apparently Mrs. W disagrees completely.

I could be persuaded that she actually is the classy lady I've been told about!

I think I can hear East Texas weeping softly in the background...

Two Quick Things.

2010-05-13T13:18:00.003-04:00

1) Of course the GOP is going to attempt an analogy between Kagan and Miers. Because they know they have no possibility of blocking her nomination and the best they can hope for is a political side-show that ends with her name being withdrawn. Moving on!

2) WHERE are my fellow bloggers??? It's awfully lonely in this deep-blue, socialist gulag these days... :P

Uncle Sam wants YOU to blog more!

Sestak Closes the Gap on Specter!

2010-05-10T13:50:00.005-04:00

Rasmussen Poll: Sestak 47% v. Specter 42%
Muhlenberg College: Ditto

From Chris Cillizza at WaPo:

"A week ago Specter led Sestak 49 percent to 40 percent. By Sunday, Sestak led 46 percent to 42 percent.

Sestak's advertising and the increased attention the race is getting appear to be paying dividends. While Specter's favorability dropped by eight points in one week's time, Sestak's has risen by seven. Even though voters know Specter much better than Sestak, the congressman's favorability (52 percent) now exceeds the senator's (50).

Last week Sestak launched an ad that detailed Specter's 2009 party switch and featured former President George W. Bush praising the one-time Republican. Perhaps most devastatingly, the ad includes audio from Specter declaring: "My change in party will allow me to be re-elected."

Momentum, at the moment, is all on Sestak's side although Specter retains two aces in the hole: 1) the support of President Obama who has lent his voice to radio ads running in the Philadelphia area in support of Specter and 2) the backing of organized labor, which is still a potent force in a Democratic primary in Pennsylvania."

The primary election is on May 18th and after the upset with Senator Bennett in Utah this weekend it looks like anything can happen! It'll be interesting to see how the nominee stacks up against Toomey in the general.

More on the Oklahoma Abortion Issues

2010-05-04T12:44:00.003-04:00

Oklahoma Attorney General, Drew Edmondson (always one of my favorites from back home), is blocking enforcement of the aforementioned abortion laws which the state house overrode despite Governor Henry's veto.

So it looks like these ridiculous laws ended up in court before they even became active. And now begins the long road to determine if such things are constitutional?

Forget DADT, This is GAGA!

2010-04-30T13:13:00.003-04:00

It's Friday and we all need a nice distraction... Enter this fabulous viral video from our solider boys in Afghanistan doing a pretty wild remake of Telephone:

Yet another testament to Lady Gage and Beyonce transcending any and all boundaries!

Snarlin' Arlen Doesn't Stand a Chance!

2010-04-30T07:55:00.001-04:00

Sestak comes out swinging against negative attack ads by Specter for the PA Senate Seat:

You can check out Sestak here: http://joesestak.com/Home/Home.html

And the Partisan Divide Gets Wider!

2010-04-29T08:40:00.000-04:00

Oh Oklahoma...why do you continue to disappoint?

The state house overrode Governor Henry's vetoes of two abortion measures. One requires women to have a full ultrasound before they can chose to have an abortion and the other protects doctors from not disclosing that a fetus may be unhealthy when an abortion is in question.

As a contributor to DailyKos put it:

"In other words, if you're a woman in Oklahoma seeking a legal medical procedure, you will first be forced to have a completely unnecessary procedure so the doctor can show and describe to you your beautiful, healthy little bundle of joy.

This is Oklahoman for "informed consent."

But if that bundle of joy isn't so healthy? Tough shit. The doctor doesn't have to say a word."

Regardless of where you fall on the argument, I think we can all agree that these two measures are ridiculous. #Facepalm

I Like This One Better:

2010-04-28T16:29:00.005-04:00

I think Karl is being a bit liberal with the pink states...

Interactive mid-term map from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/2010-race-maps/senate/

It'll be interesting to see how Team PA's grassroots work in 2008 shapes up for the Sestak/Specter/Toomey race this year!

Karl's Latest Map

2010-04-22T16:30:00.001-04:00

www.facebook.com/karlrove

Hypothetical: Lobbyists

2010-04-21T20:33:00.003-04:00

Assuming such a thing could actually pass, what would a lifetime ban on lobbying for all current and former members of congress do for the integrity of our democracy?

Your thoughts?

Because You Were Worried About This:

2010-04-16T17:14:00.003-04:00

Rachel informs us that Bittersgate is officially over and now we have unfettered access to Angostura Bitters:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

And just because it's been that kind of week, I suggest we all go have a nice cocktail and not think about politics until Monday! ;)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I Am Surrounded by Liberals

2010-04-15T10:49:00.002-04:00

A by-product of a conversation at school this morning...

Bobby Ruxpin

Tina Fey is Back as Palin!

2010-04-14T14:26:00.002-04:00

Hate Speech v. The First Amendment

2010-04-13T09:42:00.008-04:00

Hopefully you've been spared the disgust of acquaintance with Phelps family and the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. But if thus far you haven't been made aware of them, perhaps it's time you were because they're about to make their debut at the highest court in the land.

By way of a quick summary, Fred Phelps leads his family and his flock (godhatesfags.com and godhatesamerica.com) in some of the most active, hateful, and utterly loathsome protests around the country in recent years. Their core message is that God is punishing the United States (by allowing our soldiers to be killed for example) because we as a nation are socially tolerant of homosexuals. And they have a very strange way of displaying this belief: they organize horrible and way too frequent protests at soldiers funerals!

The incident which started this circus's trip to the Supreme Court was the picketing of 20-year-old, heterosexual, Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder's funeral on March 10, 2006. Matthew's father, Albert Snyder, sued Phelps and the church for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress (putting it mildly in my opinion). Snyder won a $10.9M award for various damages in 2007 in the initial case.

Of course, Phelps and company immediately appealed the verdict and it was upheld in 2008 by the Maryland District Court but subsequently overturned in 2009 by the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. To further complicate matters, on March 30, 2010, the Circuit Court ordered Snyder to pay over $16K to cover the Phelps's legal fees!

The outrage at this decision brought the whole mess to the national spotlight and sparked an admirable outpouring of support to help the Snyder's pay the fees. Even Bill O'Reilly offered to cover the bill! (Never thought I'd see the day where I cite Fox News for something positive!)

On March 8th, the Supreme Court issued certiorari to hear the case. So this has become a very sticky situation. At it's core is the question of whether hateful and disgusting speech should be protected by the First Amendment. Do the Phelps protests incite violence? Are they considered offensive to any "reasonable" person? Do private groups such as the church have the right to picket private affairs of others (a funeral in this case)?

Though the notes and finer points of my meager undergrad constitutional law classes are long gone from my mind, I was left with the distinct understanding that the First Amendment covers all speech that does not incite violence or put people in danger, no matter how reprehensible the speech may be. And I'm afraid that if I were asked to rule on this, I would probably hold in favor of the church and prevent infringing on the slippery slope of censoring protests like this.

The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, ... or the right of the people peaceably to assemble ..." And the result is that a hateful display such as the Phelps protests is covered just the same as an energetic but respectful gathering such as the National Equality March last October. (Photo by author.)

The Court's ruling should be quite interesting. I don't believe there is a legal recourse to prevent this kind of thing and I think we'll just have to wait and as a country apply enough peer-pressure to loons like the Phelps clan so that they are discouraged from spreading this horrible message.

In the meantime, keep your eye on the news for further developments and a hearing date. If you'd like to support the Snyder family you may do so here: matthewsnyder.org/help.html

Marine Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder

How does this make any sense at all?

2010-04-12T20:22:00.005-04:00

Senator Lieberman on ratifying the new START treaty: "I'm going to be real hesitant to vote for this treaty unless we have a commitment from the administration that they're prepared to modernize our nuclear stockpile,"

If I may be allowed a simplified comparison to illustrate the absurdity of this position: The US and Russia agree to get rid of one in three of their muskets, but Lieberman won't support that idea until the US agrees to upgrade from muskets to rifles?!? Yeah. It's like that.

Nevermind the fact that we would still have enough nukes to wipe out the world several times over...

O'Keefe and ACORN

2010-04-07T15:07:00.004-04:00

After the dust has settled and ACORN has been shut down, the truth actually comes out. O'Keefe and his crew manipulated their footage with creative editing to make it appear that the ACORN folks were accomplices in wrongdoing:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So what was ACORN's crime? Registering low-income voters who predominately tend to vote democratic. Did they do it well? Not really. Were they a perfect organization with no leadership corruption? Probably not. But in this instance the right-wing media machine brought down an entire organization for the 1% that they did wrong rather than the 99% they did (or tried to do) right. And all in the name of politics and winning elections. O'Keefe should be ashamed and promptly shown to the door.

I suppose if you can't get ahead with integrity and values, then lying and cheating are the only viable options that remain?

I wonder how those other lawsuits are working out for him?

Oklahoma: Still Keeping It Classy

2010-04-06T15:47:00.007-04:00

The Oklahoma Senate, in a nefarious attempt to invoke the 10th Amendment to trump the recently passed federal Hate Crimes law, managed to pull off a disappointment of epic, boneheaded proportions late last month. The state Senate passed a bill whereby the state executive branch could not disclose any files or reports to federal authorities pursuing an investigation under the "sexual orientation" section of the Hate Crimes law.

But in this attempt to thumb their bigoted noses at the Fed, the section number denoted in the bill was the wrong one! They reference 18 U.S.C. Section 245 instead of Section 249, effectively blocking cooperation on grounds of race or religion instead of sexual orientation as intended.

So, nice try on stripping LGBT citizens of Oklahoma of their basic protections against violence and persecution, but the joke is on the religious-right. The state senate effectively voted to block themselves from federal hate crimes protection on the basis of being Christians. (As if Christians were never persecuted, beaten, or killed for what we believe!)

Apparently this will be resolved when the state House amends the bill.

May they be blessed with gay children who still love them enough to take care of them in their old age and be a light in their lives despite their cancerous hate.

The Devil is in the Details indeed.

Well, at Least He Caught It!

2010-04-05T15:28:00.003-04:00

POTUS throws the first pitch today at the Nats game:

While rocking a White Sox hat (obviously that went over with mixed results)!

And as much as DC rocks and I love this place, I'm rooting for the Phillies today! (11-1 Phillies in the top of the 8th) :P

Monday Funday.

2010-04-05T08:53:00.003-04:00

Overheard at Capitol South:

Mother-of-four: "Seriously, do you know where you're going?"

Father-of-four: "Nope."

Mother-of-four: "Well then, get the frickin' book out and figure it out!"

Ahh, I love Springtime in DC!

In other news, today is the White House Egg Roll. Despite my connections to this year's "Head Bunny", a ticket could not be scored (or wasted on this young single man with no children)! However, the fact that J.K. Rowling will be doing a reading further enhances my cabin-fever.

Happy Monday!

Breaking: Bi-Partisan VAN Effort!

2010-04-01T13:07:00.004-04:00

Voter Activation Network (VAN) to Launch New Technology For Republican National Committee

The architects of the DNC’s “VoteBuilder” software will help the GOP bridge the technology gap with “VoteSuppressor”.

Somerville, Mass., April 1, 2010 – Voter Activation Network (VAN), the company whose “VoteBuilder” software helped propel the Democratic Party to a significant technological advantage over the GOP in 2008, announces the release of “VoteSuppressor,” a software program especially tailored to the needs of Republican campaigns.

“We had to take a different approach to address the technology needs of today’s Republican party,” said Voter Activation Network founder Mark Sullivan. “While we first expected to reuse much of the ground breaking voter contact software we built for Democrats, we soon realized that Republicans are more interested in scaring voters than talking to them.”

Some of the specialized development for VoteSuppressor will include:

• VAN’s core tools for amassing voter data and facilitating better communication will be modified to confuse voters about where they vote and whether they are eligible.

• VAN’s powerful “Turf Cutter” tool, which helps users prepare walk routes by visualizing voters on a map, will also highlight the nearest luxury hotels and bondage-themed strip clubs.

• Friendly user messaging and warm Obama “Hope Glow” will be replaced with “Hell no, you can’t!” theme.

• Every page of the system will feature a slick animation of RNC chairman Michael Steele making a different one of his trademark gaffes.

Voter Activation Network has reached a special deal with the RNC to allow them to place their entire new technology program on credit, inspired by the record breaking deficit spending of Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Bush.

Voter Activation Network is the world’s largest provider of voter contact technology, available only to Democrats and progressives. In 2008 President Obama’s campaign used VAN to manage its massive voter contact and volunteer management operations in all 50 U.S. states. Voter Activation Network works with Republicans and reactionaries only on April Fool’s Day.

Have You People No Shame?

2010-03-31T11:20:00.006-04:00

Apparently another offering of the nefarious anger movement across the country will culminate with a "Second Amendment March" (SAM) in D.C. with smaller rallies in the states on April 19th.

Contrary to my status as a flaming-liberal, I'm all for gun-rights. I'm a country-boy from Oklahoma where we burn and shoot things for recreation when we get bored, for Pete's sake! But, the idea of a huge mob of people rallying with guns and proclaiming their 2nd Amendment rights scares the hell out of me. I believe this falls under the rule: "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in groups." (now complete with guns!)

In my opinion, you exercise your 2nd Amendment rights by owning and keeping your guns at home, with proper training, and proper teaching of your family on how to respect and use them. You don't go waving your pearl-handled, nickel-plated .45 in peoples faces on the National Mall! God forbid any kind of accident occur.

But enough of how bad an idea this is, let's get on to the bigger point. April 19th happens to be a very somber day for me and many other Oklahomans. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. I was a sophomore in high school and scheduled to attend the State FFA Convention in OKC the day Tim McVeigh detonated a Ryder truck full of fertilizer and diesel which took out a good half of the Murrah Federal Building in downtown and killed 168 people.

This was long before 9/11, back when there were no security barriers to prevent such trucks from ramming a building (can you find a place of importance in DC that doesn't have these green security pillars today?) and you could fairly easily park and get into a government building to do business. To see that huge plume of smoke, watch those horrific scenes on TV over and over again, and then visit the chapel and see the 168 empty chairs that stand at the site today will leave a person with a lasting impression that I personally will never forget. This was home-grown, right-wing extremist terrorism from a nut who was a big supporter of 2nd Amendment rights. The bombing was also sickly premeditated to coincide with the Branch Davidian compound raid in Waco, TX that happened two years earlier (read: other nuts with guns).

So it seems to me that scheduling a nuts with guns rally on a day when several other nuts with guns have wreaked havoc which killed people, might, in the most generous sense, be completely tasteless. In my assessment, it's a reckless and shameful demonstration that dishonors the memory of any victim of this type of behavior throughout our country's history.

The organizers say the date was picked because it is also the anniversary of the battles of Lexington/Concord, but they seem to have overlooked the shocking symbolism of this date from a heartland perspective. As things currently stand, the OKC organizers are proceeding ahead with the schedule.

I think there is great opportunity for a lesson on rebellion and resistance of a tyrannical monarchy versus threatening violence and harm by Americans to Americans on grossly exaggerated grounds. I mean, if cutting taxes and providing health care is your justification for a revolution, then I think you need a harsh reality check. The wise words of Mike from the Real World DC say it best: "If you think your life is bad, you need a humbling trip to the Holocaust Museum." (my paraphrase)

So I think I'll take a cab to work on the 19th and spend the rest of my time that day at home watching the insanity from the safety of my own couch and reflecting upon the last 15 years. I hope the organizers respect the "peacebly to assemble" portion of the First Amendment as they celebrate the Second.

I guess we'll see.

I believe people ought to examine themselves for
encouraging behavior that leads to this type of tragedy.

What Every Tech-Savvy Crackberry Addict Should Know...

2010-03-30T16:27:00.005-04:00

You can tether your Blackberry to be a high speed modem for your laptop. Why pay for an air card?

As many Blackberry-toting professionals as there are in DC, I just had to share this on the blog.

Here's the scoop.

I was skeptical at first too, but after following the direction carefully I was able to connect to the internet on my laptop using my Verizon Blackberry Curve as a high speed modem.

The best part is that it's free (assuming you have an unlimited Blackberry email/data plan) on any network. Also, it works via bluetooth. So you don't even have to take you Blackberry out of your pocket!

This means you can be using the internet on your laptop anywhere, even when driving down the road.

People are starting to realize how nifty these devices can really be. At the DC Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, they have been prototyping a Blackberry App that monitors your heart rate and other vital signs.

Take that, Apple.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About...

2010-03-30T16:21:00.003-04:00

...Buying a condo in DC. Check out DC Urban Turf, an awesome website with all the details you ever needed to know about the DC real estate market.

Tuesday News Thumbnail:

2010-03-30T12:35:00.007-04:00

Gay-face if ever there were such a thing.

Ricky Martin finally comes out. Like any of us were surprised...
Moving on!

(Seriously though, his statement is worth the read.)

Imagine a dollar-bill in that mouth...
You're welcome for the visual.

Next, what happens when the party of high morals and values gets caught red-handed dropping loads of cash at a strip club? Why, they fire a staffer of course!

Silly people with common sense, clearly you don't understand how DC works! Hint: there is no *actual* accountability involved...

Opening Day portends the end of March-Madness!

And on Monday, POTUS is throwing the first pitch at the Nats game. Sadly, I don't have tickets (to this OR the Easter Egg Roll #fail).

Look at all those friendly, white, middle-aged faces.
What's not to love?

And finally, for your reading enjoyment at DailyKos, a sample of just how misplaced the anger of the current Tea Party movement really is.

Worth a Thousand Words.

2010-03-26T13:25:00.001-04:00

TGIF, folks!

A Note from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

2010-03-24T09:26:00.000-04:00

Heath Clayton neither approves nor disapproves of this message. He is merely posting it for it's newsworthiness.

Rasmussen Reports:

"Just 36% of Texas voters favor the health care reform plan making its way through congress, while 63% are opposed. Those figures include 19% who strongly favor the plan and 57% who strongly oppose it. Opposition is higher in Texas than it is nationally."

Rahm Had His Doubts...

2010-03-23T21:06:00.004-04:00

In his recent interview with Katie Couric, Rahm Emanuel admitted to telling Obama that he should scale down his health care reform ambitions. Watch the interview...

Watch CBS News Videos Online

A White House Easter Full of Glee!

2010-03-22T15:33:00.005-04:00

In case you were wondering if the White House Easter Egg Roll could possibly get any cooler, you can stop wondering now: the cast of GLEE is going to sing this year!

I think this pretty much qualifies as a match made in heaven!

Yes We Did!

2010-03-21T23:40:00.003-04:00

The House finally passed this monumental legislation that's taken a century to arrive at! Passing the Senate version of the bill by 219-212 and then the reconciliation bill right behind it. The amended bill now moves to the Senate again to pass the final hurdle of reconciliation (several majority votes) and on to the President's desk.

I could blather on about how great it is to actually bring about CHANGE and contribute my meager part to this movement alongside so many of my fellow progressives, but I will simply leave you with this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-john-b-larson/he-top-ten-immediate-bene_b_501748.html Those are some of the highlights of the bill that will immediately take effect once the President's ink has dried. These are common sense and small but amazing steps toward better healthcare for so many more Americans. And yes, these benefits will even be enjoyed by my Republican friends and so many of those Tea Party folks who fought so hard against this progress.

So we leave the political posturing and the daily grind of politics for tomorrow. For tonight, I'm proud of what we've accomplished, of campaign promises kept, of progress on behalf of folks whom government ought to be for, of doing the right thing, and of a great victory for the American people. Yes We Did. Yes We Can. And Yes We Will Continue To Do!

Counterprotest!

2010-03-21T13:15:00.000-04:00

Down and Dirty Democracy!

2010-03-21T12:34:00.000-04:00

D-Day for health care and the opposition is deeply misguided and very
disorganized.

The Great Thaw

2010-03-16T14:49:00.001-04:00

Obama is set to appear exclusively on Fox News Wednesday night on Special Report with Bret Baier.

"Obviously, they have a pretty big audience share," explained Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Seated next to me

2010-03-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

At lunch today. This is my life.
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It's About the Character of Our Country.

2010-03-12T10:51:00.003-05:00

Speaker Pelosi outlines the final push for healthcare reform in plain terms:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"This is not about the provisions of any bill, it's about the character of our country."

Call the Capitol Switchboard today: (202) 224-3121 and let's get this thing done.

An Electrified, Concertina Wire Protected Crisis Garden? Yes, please!

2010-03-11T12:29:00.005-05:00

Colbert points out, as only he can, the absurdity of people capitalizing off of fear-mongering:

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Survival Seed Bank

www.colbertnation.com

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Red to Blue: Round 1

2010-03-10T17:32:00.000-05:00

Today the DCCC released its first round of "Red to Blue" races. These are credible Democratic challengers to Republican incumbents (or currently Republican open seats). 13 candidates qualified in a variety of states, so check out the list and be sure to make a contribution to your fave(s).

Not Fast Enough.

2010-03-10T08:43:00.000-05:00

Rush claims he'll leave the U.S. for healthcare should the reform measures be passed:

You know, because an "Armageddon Argument" (hat tip to Michael for introducing me to this theory) is all they have left...

The Next Big Thing...

2010-03-09T15:36:00.004-05:00

I generally keep a good bi-partisan base of friends on social media whom I sincerely care for and like to check in with frequently. However, I have a few indicator folks (to remain nameless) as "friends" simply for the sole purpose of reconnaissance. It's good to know what the enemy is up to, you know?

So file this one under pure opinion, but I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the next big wave of attempted criticism to be leveled at the Obama Administration by the GOP: Muslim Sympathizer (with emphasis on non-Christian).

Some simple reasons why:

They've lost the health care battle
Heath Clayton's first-hand reporting that America is becoming more well respected in the world
The White House condemned Israel's settlement expansion today
There's lots of (incorrect) chatter on social media about the perceived evils and dangers of Islam

So get ready cause it's about to get vicious! The party of no ideas, substance, or constructive input is going to resort to what they do best: try to drag the other guy down to their level.

After all, why should anyone excel when we can all be equally horrible?

The Secret Service

2010-03-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

A very underrated and overlooked government agency. This article discusses the recent changes and challenges they are facing. A must read!

FiNP is International

2010-03-08T08:43:00.009-05:00

Over the last few days I have been traveling through Spain and France, leaving a trail of FiNP business cards in my wake. Perhaps we will gain some international followers and allies. Everyone needs to check out Maria's food blog: Maria Eats in Paris. :-)

One of the most interesting things I have discovered is that people's attitude to the US is changing. I have not encountered one person with a negative view of the US. In fact, a couple of people have expressed a desire to move to the US because they view it as a more liberal and progressive place than their own country!

A scientist from Holland (the country of Amsterdam!) expressed a desire to leave his country because of the recent "right-wing conservative movement" there and wanted to move to the land of Obama because "it is moving in the right direction". :-)

It turns out that Holland has their own version of Glen Beck! Who knew? Only their version might become Prime Minister! Among other things, Geert Wilders wants to ban Islamic head-wear in public! wow!

It is interesting to see how the political ideologies rotate around the world. While President Bush would have gotten along quite well with Merkel, Sarkozy, and other conservative governments now developing in Europe, he never got the chance. Instead, he was given Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schroeder, and other very liberal leaders.

Is the US the trend-setter when it comes to global political ideology? Or are we imitating Europe? Chicken and the egg my friends.

I am now off to a bike tour down the Seine with some new friends who work for the government of Ireland. Back to the US on Thursday, and excited about a partial FiNP reunion on Saturday!

Culture of Corruption

2010-03-08T08:09:00.002-05:00

In the past both sides have campaigned on defeating the "culture of corruption" in Washington. In 2006, the Democrats were able to gain momentum and had large gains due to many reasons:

Well, it's not even officially Spring and the Democrat's are already emulating this behavior with remarkable similarity:

Charlie Rangel

Eric Massa

So far, we have a senior leader in the House stepping down from his leadership position (Chairman of Way and Means) due to financial impropriety and a creepy gay scandal. Next? My bet is Max Baucas.

He nominated his girlfriend for a US Attorney job.

He gave his girlfriend a $14k raise.

AND.... he may or may not be drunk in this recent clip that is receiving a lot of attention.

The point is this... Both sides are filled with corruption and deceit. Power leads to temptation. The American people know this, and that is why one party is not in control of congress for lengthy periods of time.

Also, just for fun, which member of his cabinet is Obama most likely to fire the day after the midterms? My bet is either Eric Holder or Janet Napolitano.

It's going to be a good year for Republicans.

The Pres does Savannah

2010-03-02T15:43:00.005-05:00

President Obama made his first visit since taking office to my home state of Georgia. He stopped by Savannah Tech and the Chatham Steel Corporation, and indulged in an artery-clogging lunch of Southern deliciousness ("Don't tell Michelle."), complete with a glass of tea (that'd be iced sweet tea, for all you non-Southerners).

All in all, a typical presidential visit done right.

Incentive.

2010-03-01T20:39:00.004-05:00

The Republicans have none.

This is a very complex healthcare matter and we tend to get lost in the politics of the day with all the summits, talking-heads, and full-court press media blitz all over the place.

But, if I may be allowed to summarize:

They have healthcare already
They are making tons of money from the insurance lobby
Their political future hinges upon stonewalling any reform effort

So, democrats: Pay it forward and let's move on with life. This is ~30 million Americans we're talking about here. There can be no bipartisanship when the other partisans have no interest in compromise, cooperation, or collaboration of any type.

In retrospect, I think that passing healthcare reform will be akin many other great progressive movements in the past: prohibition, women's suffrage, the civil rights act, and electing an African-American president. I think we will look back and say: "So what was all the fuss about again?" It's common sense and the right thing to do. No greater justification is needed.

Sad but true.

I Am Proud of Barack Obama

2010-02-27T23:59:00.005-05:00

This evening the President signed a one-year extension of the Patriot Act. Certain provisions of the Act would have expired tomorrow without the President's signature today. In spite of a failed attempt to insert additional privacy provisions through legislation in the Senate, President Obama determined that the existing version of the Patriot Act was necessary for protecting the country.

The provisions that Obama renewed will allow the following:

Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones.
Allow court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations.
Permit surveillance against a so-called lone wolf, a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group.

There are many who oppose the Patriot Act because of it's many problems:

Recovery is Working!

2010-02-26T10:12:00.000-05:00

Last week was the 1-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and we're beginning to see the effects of ARRA in rescuing our economy and stabilizing the job market across the country.

Speaker Pelosi released the above graph a couple of weeks ago to show just how close we are to breaking-even on the loss of jobs and reversing this trend back into a growing pattern!

For my own curiosity, I wanted to compare the jobs graph to the Dow Jones Industrial Average for roughly the same period:

It's pretty easy to see that both the jobs situation and what I would consider a good indicator of the overall health of our economy are both showing the same patterns and decent improvement over the last year.

Are we out of the woods yet? Of course not! But initial indications are that the Obama Administration is on the right track. It will be years before the full effects of ARRA are felt, but I'm not sure anyone can show that it wasn't necessary or successful. How successful? That can be left to the economists in the group, but I think that's the only question that remains at this point.

Check out the unprecedented transparency of all of this at Recovery.gov and USASpending.gov

The "Recovery"

2010-02-25T17:00:00.005-05:00

The Democrat's Version

The Republican's Version

Both cite the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Two points:

The 6% number* is significant (or matters) politically, because if Democrat's can't get this number up, then the Republicans will sweep the 2010 midterms. As James Carville famously stated, "It's the economy stupid!"

Second, the 6% number matters in an apolitical sense as well. Because the chief engine of economic improvement is consumer confidence, the economy won't recover unless people BELIEVE things are getting better. It wouldn't matter if the Obama Administration created a trillion jobs, if people don't believe they did, then recovery will take significantly longer.

The Democrats have failed. Not because they didn't create enough jobs, but because they failed to convince the people that things are getting better.

The Republican's political future is invested in the country's continued economic failure. This is an unethical, but potentially politically rewarding scenario for Republicans. It is unfortunate that they feel they must campaign on belittling the Obama Administration's recovery efforts. It is not good for the country, and it will weigh heavily on their conscience.

However, this type of tactic is not unique in American politics. The Democrats campaigned, and were successful, in investing their future political success in the continued Bush failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything" stated Harry Reid in 2007.

"One year later, one thing is clear: the stimulus bill has failed" stated Mike Pence in 2010.

Sound familiar?

Fact: The surge in Iraq worked. Let's ALL hope and pray the Obama recovery efforts do as well.

*A CBS News poll released on February 11th stated on page 13 that only 6% over respondents believed that the Stimulus bill has created new jobs.

Have You Seen This?

2010-02-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

There is actually a democrat in Congress with some teeth and backbone!

Congressman Anthony Weiner (NY) has been a fierce advocate for healthcare reform since the process began. But I've never seen him as fiery, direct, and steeled as he was today on the House floor.

Though he got a bit (but not too much) carried away with his claims of whole-party sellouts, he ended exchange with: "Enough of the phoniness. We are going to solve this problem because for years our Republican friends have been unable to and unwilling to. Deal with it."

It's about time they were called out for their obstructionism and blatant disregard for responding to the mandate for change the congress was given in 2008. As the congressman said "No there is no bipartisanship on this fundamental issue..." He recognizes it and hopefully those at the White House summit today will recognize it!

The time to allow the opposition to positively affect the process is well past over. The time to move forward has come; the opinions have been heard; the positions have been gathered; the minds have been made up. The time for the democrats to do what they were asked to do is now. In the words of the great Dr. King: "The time is always right to do what is right." And the time to deal with this defining issue is now.

Bipartisanship

2010-02-25T07:42:00.000-05:00

In this time of extreme partisanship, it is always nice to see a display of good-old-fashioned bipartisanship.

George HW Bush's former Chief of Staff, John H. Sununu, spoke out yesterday to defend President Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel has come under increased criticism over the past few weeks from Democrats who argue that he is the cause of many of the failures of Obama's initiatives. The article is a fascinating read and gives us a glimpse of what it is like in the COS club.

The bead-gathering report

2010-02-24T20:42:00.000-05:00

Bead trees, New Orleans, Ash Wednesday 2010

Rusty demanded a bead-gathering report from my vacation last week, but trying to put it all into words seems rather daunting. Basically, I had a MARVELOUS time, and I ended up shipping back nearly 12 pounds of (good) beads (the not-good beads I left behind).

I ate all the delicious things there are to eat in Southern Louisiana: boiled crawfish at Sammy's; fried oysters & shrimp at I don't remember where but it doesn't really matter, because the seafood is so fresh; Port of Call burger and baked potato; dinner at Herbsaint, whose chef won a 2007 James Beard award (omg, the antipasto plate! It's seasonal, and I was lucky enough to have duck pastrami on the one we ordered, which is just as amazing as it sounds); and fried chicken at Christina's, just to name a few.

The glamorous highlight of my trip, however, was enjoying a sazerac at the deliriously delightful Sazerac Bar (so heartbreakingly art deco I could spend the rest of my drinking days there) in the newly restored Roosevelt Hotel:

Maddow vs. Schock Take Two

2010-02-24T12:14:00.005-05:00

This morning at 2 AM while studying for my finance exam, I caught up on past episodes of Meet the Press. Surprise, surpirse! Aaron Schock was on debating Rachel Maddow... I was just getting ready to blog about it when Rusty beat me to it! :-)

Well, since Rusty has given you HIS side, let me give you mine.

Yes, poor young Aaron was terrified. I swear he started shaking at one point. BUT, he did manage to defend himself and make a few (well, maybe a couple) good points.

When confronted about his supposed "hypocrisy" at appearing at events to highlight the stimulus pay-outs in his district, he rightly pointed out that Rachel (who makes millions) has not offered to give back her Bush tax cut, a tax cut she continues to rail against.

Additionally, Congressman Schock pointed out that if his constituent's grandchildren are going to be saddled with the debt from the stimulus, they might as well enjoy and celebrate the immediate benefits of that spending. Duh!

Finally, ThinkProgress.org has not "been diligent enough" to document these cases Rusty... ITS THEIR JOB to count these types of things. :-)

As David Brooks pointed out in the same panel discussion, only one number matters. And it proves that the stimulus has failed:

Only 6% of Americans believe the stimulus has created jobs.

Support is falling, meaning Republicans will continue doing what they have been doing. Even if some argue it is hypocritical.

CBS News

Maddow v. Schock (aka Stimulus Hypocrisy 101)

2010-02-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

The poor boy didn't even see it coming! Rachel's been running a recurring series on the blatant hypocrisy that is the GOP on the Stimulus package lately. Unfortunately for congressman Schock, it also had her well prepared to address the issue on Meet the Press a couple of weekends ago.

Maddow to Schock: "You, in your district, I just read that you were at a community college touting a $350,000 green technology education program, talking about how great that was going to be for your district," she said. "You voted against the bill that created that grant. That's happening a lot with Republicans sort of taking credit for things that Democratic bills do and then Republicans simultaneously touting their votes against them and trashing them. That, I think, is a problem that needs to be resolved within your caucus. Because you seem like a very nice person but that is a very hypocritical stance to take."

See the segment:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

For all this talk from the Right on how the newly 1-year-old Stimulus Package is a pork-laden, deficit-exacerbating failure, they seem to be taking the opportunity to celebrate the success of it back in their home districts VERY frequently. Now it could just be me, but if you're going to appear at an event made possible by the Stimulus and tout how it's helping the economy and creating jobs, that means the STIMULUS has been SUCCESSFUL in meeting its objectives. So to Rachel's point: You can't have it both ways. Don't vote against the bill, talk trash about it in the media, and then praise it as successful back home in your district as if you had something to do with it.

Think this is an isolated incident? ThinkProgress.org has been diligent enough to keep a running count of how many press events have been held by Republicans for this very thing. The count is up to 111 members of congress and rising! This includes GOP leadership in both houses and some of the most outspoken critics of the Obama Administration.

The 2010 Republican Party:
the Face of True Hypocrisy!

I Agree With Scott Brown.

2010-02-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, it surprised me as well (though it's old news, I've been out for awhile!):

"Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts said Sunday he opposes federal funding for abortions, but thinks women should have the right to choose whether to have one."

Oops. I wonder if the GOP was aware of this while sweating to get him elected? At least he's likely to be one to rise above all this Stupak Amendment ridiculousness that has been injected into the healthcare reform debate.

The Best Thing to Come Out of CPAC?

2010-02-21T12:16:00.003-05:00

A Ron Paul straw-poll win! Perhaps there is hope for the youthful future of the GOP?? ;)

But, you can pretty much have the rest of it, as far as I'm concerned... (Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich? Seriously?)

What does this really show? Not much, outside the fact that the GOP is still obviously fractured and leaderless. Unless you count Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh (Lord help us all!).

Holy Huckabee!

2010-02-17T14:51:00.002-05:00

US News and World Report's "Washington Whispers" column reports that Michelle Obama will be appearing on Mike Huckabee's Fox News show. They will discuss her anti-obesity campaign among other things.

Perhaps the chill between Fox News and The White House is begining to thaw?

Rep. Louie Gohmert on Military Tribunals

2010-02-16T19:56:00.003-05:00

My favorite Rep. and former employer Congressman Louie Gohmert has an op-ed in US News and World Report this week that is a must read. Gohmert is a former judge and an expert on judicial issues. An excerpt is below:

"Trial of the suspected 9/11 coconspirators has brought forth cries that "everyone should have the same rights under our Constitution." They misunderstand the Constitution. It guarantees due process, but that grants different rights in different settings. The burden of proof in criminal cases is quite different from that in civil cases, though the latter may result in the loss of major assets. Respondents in bankruptcy proceedings have very different rights from respondents in administrative or deportation hearings.

The Army taught me that defendants in a military court do not have the same rights as defendants in a U.S. district court. No one screamed that our military should be tried only in a district court. That is because the military system was constitutionally created by Congress. Our Constitution anticipated a military with more discipline, less right to question, and more command control than a civilian workplace. Military members are afforded "constitutional rights," but they're different from civilians'. Likewise, enemy combatants can be constitutionally tried before a military commission created by an act of Congress."

Step Away From My Rights!

2010-02-16T16:23:00.005-05:00

Bob McDonnell: Enemy of Reasonable People

Two things:

Elections have consequences. Creigh Deeds and Martha Coakley were completely less-than-stellar candidates and the democrats didn't get their act together on either race. So I want to believe that in their place was elected a reasonable Republican alternative that ought to not totally screw up the progressive direction each respective state was headed.
I'm far from a militant gay-rights advocate who views the struggle for equality as something akin to a war for freedom. I expect that as the electorate ages and as we LGBT'ers become more comfortable changing hearts and minds at our own grassroots levels in our own personal lives that eventually, one day, I'll be able to get married (and enjoy all the accompanying stress involved with such a decision!).

However, this is absolutely outrageous! "Gov. McDonnell has signed a new executive order that strips former protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation for employees of the Commonwealth of Virginia..."

How evil and horrible do you have to be to actually reach into the collection of civil-rights, REMOVE something this precious...then walk away justified? This further reinforces the points that the GOP is so damn far out of bounds they can't be trusted and that indeed, if my tribe ever wants equality we're going to have to steel ourselves and get aggressive to obtain every last scrap of it.

This kind of move is punitive and malicious. Delaying equality because you don't have the stomach to rise-up and be progressive is one thing. Turning a blind eye to equality because you think it's for someone else to deal with is another. This is the typical thing we're used to seeing around the country. But, reversing civil-rights at this magnitude (state-level!) goes well beyond any reasonable expectation of governance that I'm aware of.

It's shameful, wrong, and I'm afraid nothing can be done about it until the next election affords us that opportunity. Or maybe all those LGBT employees across his Executive Branch ought to stage a walk-out?

One Word: EQUALITY

Fat Tuesday!

2010-02-16T16:17:00.003-05:00

Today is Fat Tuesday and I am definitely with @Casetheplace in spirit! Too bad Bourbon Street is so damn far from 3rd St. SW in DC :(

To put you in the mood for reverly, you should read this post from our good friend at Pastoral Urbanite. He does a great job relating the feeling of loving New Orleans but not being there...

So tonight, I'm off to see if I can find a Sazerac in this city... And @Casetheplace we want a (mostly) full report of all the bead-gathering activities upon your return!

It's A Trap!

2010-02-15T08:35:00.002-05:00

Sledding on the Hill!!!

2010-02-13T16:00:00.001-05:00

Senator Dodd managed to talk the powers-that-be into letting people sled on the Hill this weekend! Check it out.

Now, anybody got a sled??!?

No One Compares With Rove

2010-02-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

If you don't follow Karl Rove on Twitter and Facebook, you should. No one knows elections better. You can find the above map and more only on his Facebook Notes page. Also, his eagerly anticipated first book Courage and Consequence is due out March 9th. You can count on receiving my full review here, on FiNP, shortly after the book's release.

How Did I Miss This?

2010-02-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Chicago's Second City Theater debuted "Rush Limbaugh! the Musical" on January 31st.

Punter, FiNP expects a full review.

"Brought to you by the same team that made Rod Blagojevich Superstar! an instant hit, Rush Limbaugh! The Musical takes us back to Rush’s humble beginnings and follows his ascent to conservative dominance buoyed by characters like Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, and Donald Rumsfeld despite confrontations with Hillary Clinton and Barney Frank."

For those new to the blog, Punter is the affectionate nickname of our prodigal blogger, Coryn Millslagle who is on sabbatical in Chicago.

Snow pack

2010-02-11T23:16:00.000-05:00

Outside Union Station this afternoon

I'm not sure why God sent the snow pack that is clearly needed in Vancouver, British Columbia to the U.S.'s Mid-Atlantic region instead. Perhaps he mistook "Beerlympics 2010" for "Actual 2010 Winter Olympic Games." Regardless, the snow has finally stopped, and most of us are headed in to work tomorrow.

Global Warming/Cooling

2010-02-11T10:37:00.003-05:00

The New York Times has an article today about the various debates going on about climate change during this blizzard.

"Most climate scientists respond that the ferocious storms are consistent with forecasts that a heating planet will produce more frequent and more intense weather events.

But some independent climate experts say the blizzards in the Northeast no more prove that the planet is cooling than the lack of snow in Vancouver or the downpours in Southern California prove that it is warming."

As Charles Krauthammer said yesterday, this one storm does not affect the science.

However, a science that proves everything, also proves nothing.

Let's all hope that climate change is not real, because it is becoming painfully obvious that China, India, Russia and the United States plan to do nothing about it. A poll by the BBC last week stated:

"only 26% of those asked believed climate change was happening and "now established as largely man-made".

Can we do a "snow stop" dance?

2010-02-10T22:01:00.000-05:00

I can barely see out my kitchen window! (Ok, fine, so I live in a basement, but still, this is insane). As of today, DC has broken all previous winter snowfall records, and I'm getting antsy. When I opened my front door to take this picture:

I was struck by the absolute quiet, and lack of humanity. I live in a major city because I like noise and weirdos, and with the House taking a snow recess and everyone else hunkered down inside indefinitely, I'm getting very little of either.

And did Heath's post today feature a New Yorker cartoon? What happened to the repressed socially awkward home sc,hooler from East Texas I used to know?

Blizzard Reading

2010-02-10T10:48:00.003-05:00

Since your fearless FiNP instigators are all trapped by the 2010 Blizzard, I can assure you that we are catching up on our Politico and Fox News... errrr, and MSNBC.

So what is one to do when trapped inside the house for 5 days and counting? Read blogs of course! Below are a few of my favorite (and often overlooked) political blogs. Enjoy, and please feel free to post some of your favorites under the comments section!

Happy Reading!

The Note

ABC's brilliant political tip-sheet. Don't miss it!

The Hotline

Second only to "The Note", National Journal's Hotline is a must read every morning.

TVNewser

You might not want to admit that you are addicted to the news, but you probably are. TVNewser is the first to have the latest news and gossip about your favorite news show or news personality.

The Roosevelt Room

"For decades, the Roosevelt Room has been the center of policy discussion in the West Wing of the White House. RooseveltRoom.net provides former senior Bush Administration officials a forum to continue their engagement in current policy debates and a gateway to their published work elsewhere on the web."

American Maggie

A very impressive online platform for conservative women.

Sanity Fair

If it's pretty, my friend Skyla Freeman will report it.

Keith Hennessey

Your guide to conservative economic policy.

Football and Beer!

2010-02-07T18:50:00.007-05:00

Today is Superbowl Sunday, otherwise known as Saints-Gonna-Kick-Some-Colt-Ass-Day!

I'm kicking back with the family, watching the game on the 50" LCD TV, and enjoying a Miller High Life in honor of my late grandmother! At home with the folks is not necessarily the worst place to be stranded between blizzards...

Obviously, this faction of the FiNP crew is rooting for the Saints for several reasons:

They're the NFC Champs (poo on the AFC)
They beat the guys who beat the Cowboys (Brett Farve is *still* our arch enemy after all these years)
They've never been to the Superbowl!
I've always thought Drew Brees and company were pretty damn scrappy
There may or may not have been a joint-FiNP bar crawl in the French Quarter this past summer (I'm just sayin...)

So....GEAUX SAINTS!

Tomorrow I attempt a return to the Great-White-Northeast with a delightful 5:45am flight from Dallas. Hopefully I'll be wheels-down before the snow starts falling on the plains and the coming resurgence of the Snowpocalypse (Part Trois?) in DC on Tuesday. Spring break cannot get here fast enough for me!

(Obviously, my grandmother was a classy lady with sophisticated taste in beer!)

When it snows, it blizzards

2010-02-07T15:46:00.000-05:00

Outside my front door yesterday, early afternoon

Back patio, yesterday early afternoon

I appreciated my little shout-out in Heath's post earlier. I am very much alive, and have, in fact, been unpacking my spring wardrobe in anticipation of leaving one week from today (assuming the snow's been cleared from the runway at National by then) for Mardi Gras. I also did not step outside my house for 48 hours, which led prodigal blogger Coryn to comment on the increasing instability of my mental state (as if she's in a position to judge).

Here's a short list of things I really have no excuse not to do, on account of being inside and unable to go anywhere, but have yet to do:

iron
do my taxes

I hate ironing. Abhor it, even. I've been known to abandon favorite shirts to Goodwill because they required ironing. For a while, I worked out a deal with Coryn in which she ironed my ironables once a week and I cooked her dinner 3 out of 4 week nights, but she had to go and ruin that great system by moving to Chicago. I think I have ironed exactly once since her departure in early October.

And as far as doing my taxes goes, last year's tax debacle became a long-running gag. I filed my Federal taxes within weeks of receiving my W-2, but I just couldn't quite work up my nerve to tackle my Wisconsin state return. It got so bad, I ended up staying up late one night in the middle of April in a hotel room in the Crowne Plaza of Baton Rouge to finally get the damn thing done. I'm hoping to avoid a similar fate this year.

Snowmageddon!

2010-02-07T11:02:00.008-05:00

@heathclaytondc Weathering the Storm in Pittsburgh.

The West Wing of The White House, buried in snow.

A massive blizzard has hit the mid-Atlantic region over the weekend, leaving your humble FiNP bloggers in various stages of disarray.

At the forefront of the storm was Washington, DC which received 30 inches of snow! All planes, trains, buses and subways are out of service. The Washington Post has also reported that 200,000 people are without power in the Beltway region. Be sure and check out this video of a MASSIVE snow ball fight in Dupont Circle.

Information is coming in about various DC celebrities:

"CNN's Wolf Blitzer, who took refuge at a friend's house and spent the day lounging and reading the news."

"Andrea Mitchell and Alan Greenspan spent the day glued to the television and a computer in their Northwest Washington home, working. The former Federal Reserve chairman was scheduled to appear on "Meet the Press" Sunday morning and hoped that he could get to the studio. "We are completely snowed in," Mitchell said. "Our street never gets plowed."

At last report, @casetheplace was in denial of the incoming blizzard and was unpacking her summer wardrobe... that was Friday. Are you alive @casetheplace?

@rpickens is stranded in Oklahoma, hoping that Reagan National reopens before yet another blizzard hits Oklahoma!

Here in Pittsburgh, things are not quite as bad. We had about 25 inches of snow, and I have never been more grateful for 4 wheel drive and a reliable internet connection. School is canceled tomorrow, time to catch up on some reading (the new political tell-all book Game Change!) .

The Almighty Subaru Has A Little Snow On It.

Texas Wasn't Like This.

The View From My Front Window.

Everyone Loves a Comeback

2010-02-05T17:23:00.011-05:00

Friends of Friendship is Nonpartisan,

I am horrible at blogging, I apologize. After a very absent month or two, I am going to do my best to blog more often.

To start things off, I would like to post a few of my favorite political photos from the last couple of years.

Barack and Michelle Enjoying Pamela's Diner in Pittsburgh.

President Bush's First Return to the White House in Over a Year.

A Unique Group of People at Senator Ted Kennedy's Funeral.

Laura Bush Will Always Be My Favorite First Lady.

On the South Lawn Wearing Her Mother-In-Law's (Barbara's) Pearls.

A Great Advocate for Education.

Further adventures in Astroturf

2010-02-05T17:19:00.000-05:00

David All strikes again!

Mardi Gras...Mardi Gras...

2010-02-04T22:24:00.001-05:00

As I sit on the edge of impending #snomgasm, aka #snOMG2, #snowpocalypseII, or, as MJ has dubbed it #snowpocalypso ("I'm taking back snowdays; gonna crank the Buffett, gonna have some beers, gonna rock out"), I have to remind myself that in just nine short, sweet days, I will be somewhere warm, somewhere drunk, somewhere magical, surrounded by my crazy Cajun friends. That "somewhere" is my very first southern Louisiana Mardi Gras experience.

Please be jealous.
****
In other, electoral news, Andy McKenna appears to have lost the five-way Republican primary for governor of Illinois. Which means prodigal blogger Coryn is once again figuring out her next move.
***
And in yet other, more ridiculous news, I finally got around to introducing ETR Heath Clayton to everyone's favorite 80s Republican (no, not Reagan): Alex P. Keaton.

Watching IL returns come in

2010-02-02T20:45:00.002-05:00

I am a dork. Join me here. Or watch the same livestream as me.

Low turnout in the IL

2010-02-02T18:56:00.003-05:00

LG & Coryn in the upper left hand corner; yours truly holding the beer

FiNP's prodigal blogger Coryn is anxiously awaiting returns in Illinois (polls close at 8pm Eastern). So far, low turnout and whatever passes for exit polling isn't showing the best of results for Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna.

Last night at LG's, we conference called Coryn. There were three Republicans, and me (that's the reality show you should all be begging to see, let me tell ya). By far the highlight of the call was Coryn's rant about phone banking pro-lifers:

"I can't believe you're voting based on this issue. You are a miserable human being."

Do you not see why we're friends? We are pro-choice, pro-2nd amendment, and firm believers in voting based on fiscal/economic issues. And, apart from my devotion to Outkast and her general ambivalence towards Andre 3000 and Big Boi, we are musical soul mates.

(I miss her.)

No-make-up Saturday: Textual Edition

2010-01-30T16:55:00.002-05:00

What I texted Coryn earlier:

My invite arrived today. It goes well w/ my slippers from the doubletree in cleveland.

(Yes, I shuffle around my apartment in a pair of Doubletree slippers. Don't act like you're above it.)

Working Together?!?!

2010-01-29T13:28:00.002-05:00

I've never seen anything like this... The President is standing in a room with the Republican Caucus and they're debating point/counter-point on all these hot issues. The tone is civil, the grievances are being aired, and I HOPE that progress is being made.

It's really hard to slash each other when you're standing face to face in front of a televised audience. This is awesome and I feel a genuine effort at bipartisanship is being made from both sides.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we've come to a new era of American politics. I think one of my favorite quotes from Gladiator applies: "There was a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish, it was so fragile."

RE: Whole Foods' Employee BMI Discount Raises Legal Concerns [Food Fights]

2010-01-28T11:54:00.001-05:00

Instead of ETR Heath Clayton directing the full force of his teeth-gnashing ire at the 5 cent DC bag tax, I wish he'd go on the attack against Whole Foods for its Big Brother-style "No Fatties" policy. Smoking and eating crappy food are both legal activities, and especially when indulged in off the clock, can't (and shouldn't) be controlled by the large corporation that might employ you.

Sent to you by Casie via Google Reader:

Whole Foods' Employee BMI Discount Raises Legal Concerns [Food Fights]

via Jezebel by Anna N. on 1/28/10

According to the Portland Mercury's Blogtown, Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) is concerned about the legality of Whole Foods's new BMI-based discount program. Whole Foods, meanwhile, can't see why anyone would be mad.

Blogtown's Patrick Alan Coleman quotes Amy Klare of BOLI, who says, rather sweetly, "the road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions." She adds that "a lot of times these programs are well intended but not well thought-out," and that "rewarding people on very specific health issues can run afoul of the law, state and federal." Not only does the program — which would increase employees' discount from 20 to 30% if they did not smoke and met certain BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol targets — have potential privacy problems, it may also be discriminatory. Klare points out that, "there are times when a person can have a condition that can affect their BMI. Blood Pressure can be affected by Thyroid. And off-work tobacco use is a protected status."

Coleman also talked to Whole Foods spokesperson Vicki Foley, who at first said, "I'm going to have to find out legalities wise. I'm a bit surprised because it's something we're all excited about. It's supposed to be a really fun interactive thing that you can participate in or not." After consulting with lawyers, she added, "Basically while the potential exists for people to raise claims for any healthy incentive program, we've taken measures to ensure that this one is administered in a non-discriminatory way." She also promises that employees with disabilities will receive special evaluation, and that BMI information will only be used for the discount program and not made part of employees' personnel files.

Still, Klare remains concerned. She asks, "How are they going to evaluate how a person has a disability?" Indeed, one reader pointed out that the benchmarks for the 30% discount might be very difficult to achieve for people with diabetes, which the Americans with Disabilities Act now covers. And what about people with genetically high cholesterol, unaffected by diet (yes, they exist)? What about women with PCOS, or people whose medication causes them to gain weight? What about, as Klare asks, African Americans, who tend to have higher blood pressure than other groups? In addition to opening itself up to lawsuits, Whole Foods seems to be working under two key misconceptions: that a few simple numbers can measure a person's health, and that meting out punishments and rewards based on said health is good policy for a company.

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey mentioned in his letter about the discount program that BMI, cholesterol, and blood pressure weren't perfect markers for a person's overall well-being, but that they were cheap and easy to measure. This is probably why BMI has become so popular, despite its limitations, but until we start caring more about scientific truth than about easy chart-making, we're not going to have a healthier population. And the drive for such a population probably shouldn't start at work. One of the biggest problems with employer-based health insurance is that it gives employers an incentive to discriminate against the sick, whether or not they can do anything about their conditions. Whole Foods claims it's just trying to encourage healthy behaviors — and, as some critics of our original post have pointed out, its discount program is voluntary. Still, Mackey has been open about his desire to reduce company healthcare costs, and this desire may lead to rewarding healthy people, regardless of behavior — thus putting those already disadvantaged by medical conditions at an even greater disadvantage.

Yes, there's a place in our society for encouraging healthy eating and exercise — walkable cities and an end to corn subsidies would be a start. But one reason we need universal health care so badly is so that those who control our jobs don't also control our bodies. Whole Foods's program could be a lot worse, but it still illustrates the way in which employer-based health care can turn bosses into amateur doctors and actuaries — and sick employees into liabilities to be managed or even eliminated.

Breaking: Does Whole Foods' New "No Fatties" Employee Incentive Program Break The Law? [Portland Mercury Blogtown]

Earlier: Weigh Less, Pay Less: Whole Foods Offers Discount Based On BMI

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DADT repeal!

2010-01-27T22:15:00.000-05:00

Repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" gets a shout out at 10:13 p.m. Holla!

(Also, this is pretty much the longest SOTU ever.)

I'd like to give a shout-out to...

2010-01-27T21:15:00.002-05:00

POTUS shouts out Elkhart, Indiana. The narrative arc of Elkhart in the Obama administration has been amazingly sustained over months. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, google "Elkhart Obama" and see what pops up.)

Way to smack down

2010-01-27T21:13:00.000-05:00

Go, POTUS, go, smacking down immediately with a U.S. Constitution reference. As a fellow dinner party attendee last night pointed out, in this country the Constitution is holier than the Ten Commandments (to which I gave a resounding, "Amen!")

The Democratic Response to the Republican Response to the SOTU Response...

2010-01-27T21:04:00.009-05:00

And luckily, no one leaked my comments beforehand!

The State of the Union is second only to a presidential election for us government and political geeks. And I think I speak for the whole FiNP crew when I say we can't help but get a little giddy when this night comes around each year. If you'll indulge opinion and commentary as we go tonight on what is sure to be a thoroughly dead-horse by this time tomorrow night.

-FLOTUS is looking very regal and classy in her nice purple dress and bright pearls! Nancy's lavender, however, leaves something to be desired. Yet again the Speaker will be subjected to a year of ridicule from the FiNP crew for her poor choice in fashion! (At least it's not a olive-drab Snuggie this year!)

-ETR's favorite Congressman, Gohmert, is suspiciously close to the aisle... Perhaps this year he'll keep his signs to himself (What Bill!?!?)

-Sheila Jackson-Leigh seems to be thoroughly working the floor and refusing to stay close to her seat. That woman is the definition of a hot political mess!

-"Madam Speaker, the President of the United States!" I have to say, this makes all those campaign hours and doors knocked worth it.

-"From time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the State of our Union." LOVE IT!

-Cantor and Boehner...seething in the peanut gallery.

-"To overcome the numbing weight of our politics." But we can't seem to keep from running from a filibuster?! :/

-"We are strained by hopeful...never more hopeful about America's fate than tonight." And the first of many Standing Os!

-Not much happening on the Right with this whole bank tax issue...

-We CUT TAXES... (I'm looking at you Teabaggers...hello?)

-And a President who can tell a joke! C'mon Boehner...don't take yourself too seriously!

-We're past Harry Reid's bedtime. Also, how can he possibly look older than Robert Byrd?? #Astounded

-YES, knock it out of the park on Small Business and ARRA!!!!

-And EVERYONE is on their feet in response to the jobs focus! Finally, something we can all agree on.

-Small business in Allentown, PA! Woot! Go Team PA! That's you, Senator Casey!

-"Put American's to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow." Sound's a lot like the WPA and TVA to me, Mr. President. High speed rail, yes please. Clean energy facilities and rebate for home efficiency!

-GOP is grumbling about the removal of the tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. Why? #Commonsense

-"For those who make these claims, how long should we wait? How long should America put it's future on hold?? ... I do not accept second-place for the United States of America!" #HellYes

-The House is getting lots of kudos tonight... Senate, you should take notice!

-Clean Energy: Putting 1,000 people to work in CA building solar cells. Safe nuclear power (there's one for you GOP!), offshore drilling decisions, biofuels and clean-coal, and passing a comprehensive energy bill! Disagree with the OVERWHELMING scientific evidence on climate change. "The nation that leads the clean energy economy will lead the global economy and America must be that nation."

-A national export initiative: "We have to seek new markets aggressively." This ought to get the capitalist beanies spinning!

-Education (it's about time!): "The best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education." #PreachIt! Tax credits for college and increasing Pell Grants. Rewarding public-service with debt relief for college debt.

-Health Insurance Reform: "By now it should be fairly obvious that I didn't take on health care because it was good politics." Citing all the good reasons to pass this thing, maybe the GOP will listen this time? "By the time I'm finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their healthcare...I will NOT walk away from these Americans and neither should the PEOPLE in this chamber!" Throwing down the gauntlet by asking for a better suggestion! And Mitch McConnell is on his feet! #ThisCouldBeAwesome

-Deficit (dirty-word): Setting the record straight: surplus to huge deficit (and how we got here). "Our efforts to PREVENT a second depression added to the deficit. But families across the country are tightening their belts and the federal government should do the same." #Amen

-Spending Freeze: Security, Medicare, Medicaid remains stable, freeze other DISCRETIONARY spending. "If I have to enforce this by veto, I will."

-Letting the Bush Tax cuts expire! #ThankGod

-Bipartisan Fiscal Commission: "This can't be one of those Washington gimmicks that let's us pretend to solve a problem. ... I'll issue an Executive Order to solve this problem because I refuse to pass this problem along to another generation of Americans."

-"The problem is, that's what we did for eight years." (I think this speaks for itself.)

-"Let's try common-sense...a novel concept. ... We face a deficit of trust. ... To give our people the government they deserve."

-Calling out the SCOTUS on their recent ruling. #They'reNotHappy

-"What frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is an election day. ... I will not give up on trying to change the tone of our politics. To democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest MAJORITY in DECADES and that people STILL expect us to solve problems, NOT RUN FOR THE HILLS. ... We were sent here to serve citizens not our ambitions."

-"I know that all of us love this country and are committed to its security. ... Forge a more hopeful nation for America and for the world."

-"As we take the fight to Al-Qaeda, we are responsibly leaving Iraq to it's people. ... Make no mistake, this war is ending and all of our troops are coming home." (This is one major reason I voted for the man!)

-"For America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity."

-Recap Hate Crimes and asking to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. Equal pay laws for women.

-"These aren't republican values or democratic values they're living by ... these are American values. Each time politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up, we lose faith."

-"I never suggested that CHANGE would be easy or that I could do it alone." Sounds like he's issuing a JFK-like challenge to the American people to move the ball forward!!

-"The spirit that has sustained this nation for 200 years lives on in you! ... A new decade is before us. WE don't quit. I DON'T QUIT!"

Wow. Just when I consider that the President can't continue to inspire me, those last 5 minutes of this speech may be the best ones he's ever spoken to me. Inspiring and noting the resolve of the American people and laying aside this ridiculous hyper-partisan gridlock we deal with the other 364 days of last year.

It'll be interesting to see the Republican response (even though it's been leaked). I'll leave the analysis to ETR on that one ;)

Tonight's the night for C-SPAN

2010-01-27T20:01:00.000-05:00

Watch President Obama's first State of the Union address on C-SPAN tonight. It's the only place to view it without any pesky commentary.